Bottled on date is scratched away but this was bottled no more than three weeks ago, I know, so I'm not concerned about that. Poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass. Priced at Short's usual $2 for a single bottle.

Appearance: Reasonably hazy, and even more hazy if you get all the goodness from the bottom of the bottle into the glass. About a finger of a soapy head that dies down pretty quickly. A bit of patchy lacing. It looks alright. I tend to nit-pick -- I much prefer the look of a creamier head over a soapy one. Minor annoyance. The bottle itself looks quite a bit different from Short's other stylings, but it still stands out a bit, despite it being a mostly dark logo. Maybe the art was done by somebody over at Half Acre for this one? In any event, pretty decent looking all-around.

Smell: Yeah, guava. Smells really tropical as you'd expect. Guava/mango/peach aroma more so than a kind of pineapple. Not much else to mention as it really just smells tropical. I don't get earthiness or really any malt in the aroma.

Taste/feel: Mild/moderate carbonation with actually an unexpectedly quite thin mouthfeel.. that's the first thing I notice, and that's my biggest knock on Freedom of '78. The flavor follows up what was on the nose, with loads of guava and mango with only a slight bit of pine on the finish. Finishes pretty dry as well. Not nearly as bitter as many Short's IPAs seem to be either, which is a good change of pace.

Freedom of '78 is a good beer. It's relatively one-note with a guava/mango sort of flavor and aroma going on with only the slightest pine aftertaste, but it works. It's way too drinkable. It drinks like it'd be about 5% rather than 7%. Again, low sort of carbonation, but my only real problem with this beer is its mouthfeel... it could use a bit more heft. Regardless, this is a delicious IPA.

A: Goldenrod / light copper color. One finger of fine soapy head that fades quickly, leaves a moderate amount of lacing on the glass as I drink.

S: Pure tropical fruit. Smells like the roadside juice stands in South America, guava, mango, papaya. Very "tropical." I get no banana or clove esters (a definite plus).

T: True to the nose up front, tropical guava-ness. A very mild malt balance in the middle that fades into some typical piney hop bitterness. There is a subtle something distasteful on the backend that lingers into the aftertaste - soapy peppercorn.

M: Relatively thin, moderate to upper level carbonation with significant amounts of fizzy rising bubbles. I would have hoped for a slightly thicker mouthfeel to coat the tongue and release more of those tropical notes.

O: Good but I can't rave. The guava smell is perfect. Absolutely incredible, but it doesn't translate perfectly to the taste.

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a goblet. Some carbonation and a thin white head that leaves fairly quickly but some froth remains. A white lace lines the glass.

Smells very much like guava. It is very very present as well as lots of pine and some orange peel.

Oh wow taste is pretty insane. There is a nice prickly hop forward blast followed by lots of guava and citrus. Tastes very woody and carbonation is hidden but felt.

The alcohol is very hidden and overall this is pretty drinkable except for the fact that its a palate killer. Another unique brew from shorts. Not my favorite but a very nice change from your typical IPA. I can see the half acre influence on this one.

t - very interesting flavor. a pretty big hop bomb, but then there is a slightly tartness coming from the guava....but then there is also a sweetness from it. Its similar to Mango Mama for the fruity-sweet and hops combo. Not sure if that tartness really melds with the beer though.

m - lighter body with a bitter dry finish

overall - Short's has always been a let-down brewery for me, but this one was actually pretty good.

A: Pours a nice, deep goldenrod orange with a slight haze and with a finger of fluffy white head. The head dissipates fairly quickly, leaving some lacing behind. A decent amount of sediment is floating around near the bottom of this glass.

S: Musty funky fruit mixed in with a healthy dose of both citrusy and earthy hops. Something is kind of off-putting about the nose, but there is something very intriguing about it as well.

T: A healthy dose of that musty and funky fruit flavor hits you first, but it is brought up nicely by both the citrusy and bitter hops on the back end. The earthy notes almost remind me of some type of bread, except unlike with most Belgian-style ales, it is pretty bitter. Easily the most interesting IPA I have ever had, and incredibly tough to describe.

M: This beer is silky smooth on the palate with a nice lingering juiciness. The guava gives this beer a nice juicy mouthfeel that many IPA's just don't have.

O: This is one of the most unique IPA's that I have ever had. So many unique flavors that I have never had in an IPA, or any beer for that matter, before, and that makes it very difficult to review. This beer is not for everyone. It, however, is a very well-executed IPA from Short's, and I will pick up a few bottles any time it is released.

The beer pours an orange color with a white head. The aroma is very fruity. I get a lot of guava as well as some papaya and apricot. The aroma is very interesting overall.

The flavor is fruity, but what really stands out is how dry the beer is. The fruit is guava and some other tropical fruit such as papaya and mango. Low bitterness. The flavor is also a little bit tangy. Once again, very interesting.

I was totally unaware that Short's bottled a version of this as well - Thanks to Erik for sending me one of these! Poured into pint glass, color is a slightly hazy apricot golden with a one finger white head that leaves a good amount of lacing. Smell is a lot different from the Half Acre version - much spicier, lots of fruity hops, bread dough, and a slight malt sweetness in the background. Taste is similar, but much fruitier. Guava stands out in a big way, tropical fruit hops, bread crust maltiness, bitter aftertaste. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a medium/light carbonation, slightly coating and semi dry. Overall a great beer. I prefer the half acre version to this, but it is always fun to taste the regional differences in ingredients. Hopefully each brewery will brew this again next time Ween is in town.

Slightly orange fruity coloured with loads of white foam that later leaves a lace trail. Very floral citrus hops,and remarkably the fresh guava. Still, smells like an IPA. Very smooth mouthfeel, the guava flavour is pronounced and dominates though it does not overpower, and is blended with hop oils. Hop bitterness blast in the sediment. Very drinkable and a good one.Bottle from Steve. This was cellared somewhat and would not be as appreciated by pure hopheads. Certainly reminds me of CC Guava Grove.

12 oz bottle into a tulip glass. Thanks go to Stakem for splitting this one with me!

Pours a clear copper, with a thin covering of bright-white foamy head. This maintains a nice robust look, leaving back a rich foamy cascade that hangs in thick swathes down the sides of the glass. The guava is fairly forward here in the nose, with what I can only describe as a grassy or herbal juiciness in the nose. More floral and peppery tones give this some airiness in the nose, whiles sugary malts provide some tangy supportive sweetness in the nostrils.

The taste is bitter with green pith, spice, and herbal tones, which is then backed by the earthy juiciness of the guava and sweeter notes of bread and caramel from the malts. Raw bitternessand earthy fruit really sticks to the tongue and lingers for a good bit in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a firm crispness that is carried along by a good bit of underlying oily slickness that keeps this staying smooth in the mouth.

While I didn't get to enjoy this as fresh as I did the Half Acre version last summer, I could still definitely tell that, unlike that version, this Short's take seemed to favor more of the hop character over the guava addition, which was more of a supporting force here. I liked that this brought a little something different to the table than the Half Acre version did. Solid.

Thanks to Peter for this one. Dated 03/30/12, so about 5 months old. Will keep that in mind. Poured in to tulip.

A - Dark yellow with a tinge of amber and a small layer of off-white head.

S - A huge guava aroma up front with some lighter peach notes present. The bitterness seems as expected given the freshness and a touch of sweetness is evident in the background.

T - A fairly prominent bitterness up front, which is welcome given the freshness. A massive guava flavour is present, which compliments the bitterness well. The malt base, and perhaps the guava as well, contribute a sweetness that is a little too prominent but I would image that when fresh, this balance would be quite a bit different. The guava takes centre stage here, as advertised.